Power sweeper with main broom



v J a ri. 27,.1970 w. M CANDLESS POWER SWEEPER WITH MAIN BROOM I Filed 001:. 24, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WJLLJAM M a Liam/Lass ATTYs.

v Jan. 27, 1970 w. M CA NDLESS POWER SWEEPER WITH MAIN BROOM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 24, 1967 "I; III

Iii-5' INVENTOR. LIAM McEAmJLzss.

Jan. 27, 197o w. M cANnLEss POWER SWEEPER WITH MAIN BROOM Filed Oct. 24, 19s? 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 JNVENTOR: WILLIAM McEANmsss.

ATTys.

United States Patent 3,491,395 POWER SWEEPER WITH MAIN BROOM William McCandless, Toledo, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Scott & Fetzer Company, Lakewood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 677,590 Int. Cl. E01h 1/05 US. C]. 1583 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A power sweeper with a main sweeping broom has improved controls for positioning the broom and a unique drive arrangement. The controls for the main broom en- This invention relates to a power sweeper and particularly to a power sweeper having a main broom with an improved positioning and driving arrangement.

A power sweeper for sweeping large surfaces usually employs a large diameter main broom which is disposed transversely to the direction of movement of the sweeper. The broom is rotated by suitable drive means connected to one end thereof and picks up dirt from the surface and throws it into a hopper located either at the front or the rear of the sweeper. Some adjustment of the main broom is desirable to change the broom position relative to the floor since the position of the brush and the pressure on the surface will vary according to the type of surface being cleaned and also on the type of dirt encountered. It is also desirable to enable the position of the broom to be adjusted to compensate for wear of the bristles. Some main brooms in sweepers heretofore known have had provisions for a certain amount of adjustment whereby the brooms could be raised or lowered relative to the surface being cleaned. For example, springs have been employed in connection with the brooms, with the springs being adjustable to vary the pressure between the brooms and the surface. Such adjustment devices, as proposed heretofore, however, have been ditficult to manipulate and have usually required the complete attention of the operator, thereby requiring stopping of the sweeper until the adjustment could be fully made.

The present invention provides a control for changing the position of the broom relative to the surface being cleaned relatively quickly and easily so that the operator need not even stop the sweeper to effect the adjustment and need not devote his full attention thereto. The control according to the invention also places the broom in any of several definite positions so that the operator knows exactly where the broom is relative to the surface for any adjustment of the controls and what performance he may expect from the broom in that position.

The sweeper according to the invention also employs a main broom drive which is designed such that the drive tends to reduce the pressure or weight of the broom on the surface, particularly if resistance is met. If the broom encounters an unexpected obstruction or resistance, the drive arrangement will tend to lift the broom and reduce the pressure even more to prevent possible damage to the broom or the related components.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a power sweeper having a main broom with improved means for positioning and driving the broom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a power sweeper with a main broom having controls which enable an operator to quickly and easily adjust the position of the broom.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a power sweeper with controls for the main broom which enable the operator to know exactly the position of the broom at all times.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drive for a main broom which tends to reduce the pressure in the event resistance increases or obstructions are met.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a lightweight main broom with adjustable brushes.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic side view in elevation, with parts broken away and with parts in section, of a power sweeper embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view of portions of the broom controls and drive of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the controls and drive of FIGS. 1 and 2, with portions of the sweeper and main broom shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, top view of details of the broom controls;

FIG. 5 is a view in transverse cross section, taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view in elevation of the main broom;

FIG. 7 is a right end view in elevation of the broom of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detailed view in cross section taken along the line 8 -8 of FIG. 6.

A power sweeper embodying the invention is indicated at 10 and is of a short, compact design. The sweeper includes a main frame 12, wheels 14, a seat 16, and a steering wheel 18. A side broom 20 is located under the forward right-hand side of the machine, in this instance, and a main broom 22 is located under a central portion of the machine, extending transversely thereacross. The main broom 22 is in a housing formed by a front wall 24 and a rear wall 26 with a discharge chute 28 communicating with a dirt-receiving hopper 30 in which the dirt and dust swept from the floor by the main broom 22 are received. A blower (not shown) is connected with the hopper 30 to facilitate movement of the dirt and dust thereinto.

The main broom 22 includes a stub axle 32 extending beyond the ends of a brush 34 and rotatably carried by supporting plates 36. The plates 36 are pivoted to the frame 12 by stub axles 38 at the rear portions thereof. With this arrangement, the supporting plates 36 can be pivoted about the stub axles 38 to move the axle 32 in an arcuate, generally vertical path and thereby raise and lower the brush 34 relative to the surface being swept. The brush 34 can be raised completely from the surface when the sweeper 10 is being transported to and from the surface to be cleaned. The brush also can be moved to any of four positions, in this instance, relative to the surface to vary the pressure of the brush on the surface and change the cleaning effect of the broom. The four positions of the brush relative to the surface also enables the operator to compensate for wear of the bristles and move the axle 32 closer to the surface as the bristles become shorter.

The arrangement for positioning the broom 22 in a desired position enables the operator to know exactly where the brush 34 is with respect to the surface and what type of cleaning action he will receive therefrom at all times. In contrast, with the broom controls heretofore known, there was no positive means for placing the broom in particular positions but, rather, the position of the broom was changed by springs, the tension of which could be varied by screws.

The broom control embodying the invention includes a pair of adjustable links 40 (see FIG. 3), each of which includes a threaded male portion and a threaded female portion which can be turned relative to one another to vary the length thereof. Once the links are adjusted, however, they are ordinarily not changed except perhaps for brushes which have worn excessively or for replacement brushes which may vary in diameter from the original. The links 40 are pivotally connected to forward portions of the supporting plates 36 by arms 42 pivotally connected to upper forward portions of the plates 36. When the links 40 are raised, they raise the forward ends of the plates 36 and, hence, the broom axle 32 to raise the brush 34 and decrease the pressure of the bristles on the floor or separate the brush entirely from the floor. The upper ends of the links 40 are pivotally connected to second arms 44 which are affixed to ends of a torsion rod 46 which is pivotally supported on the frame 12 by mounting plates 48 and can be turned to pivot the second arms 44 and, hence, raise and lower the links 40.

The torsion rod 46 is rotated by the operator through a control member or lever 50 which is suitably afiixed to an intermediate portion of the rod 46 and extends upwardly beside the operators seat 16. The lever 50 extends through a first slot 52 in a control and guide bracket 54 with the slot guiding the lever 50 and having a notch 56 (FIG. 4) at a forward end thereof in which the lever 50 can be received. With the lever 50 in the notch, the torsion rod 46 is rotated to its maximum clockwise position as viewed from the right side and the plates 36 are in their maximum counterclockwise position with the brush 34 raised completely from the floor.

The lever 50 is moved toward the rear end of the slot 52 when the brush 34 is to be moved into cleaning position. When the lever 50 is moved to the rear, it is held in its position under the force of gravity of the broom 22. The cleaning position of the brush 34 relative to the surface is determined by a dial plate or stop plate 58 which is pivotally supported on the bracket 54 by a pivot rod 60 which extends upwardly through the bracket 54 and the plate 58 where it is bent at right angles to form a handle 62. As shown particularly in FIG. 4, the dial plate 58 has four steps or notches 64 therein each of which is located a different distance from the pivot rod 60 so that each can be in a different position at a rear portion of the slot 52. When the lever 50 is moved toward the rear of the slot 52, its rearward movement is controlled by the particular one of the steps 64 aligned with the slot. Consequently, the position of the brush 34 relative to the surface being cleaned can be controlled and the desired sweeping effect achieved. When the operator selects one of the four notches 64 to be aligned with the slot 62, he knows exactly where the broom is relative to the surface and the cleaning action to be expected.

A compression spring 66 is located around the pivot rod 60 below the bracket 54 with one end of the spring urged against the bracket 54 and the other urged against a nut 68. With this arrangement, the spring holds the plate 58 in position against the bracket, to maintain the appropriate notch in alignment with the lever 50. This assures that the lever 50 will remain engaged in that particular notch even if the broom and lever might occasionally bounce during operation.

The side broom 20 also can be easily controlled by the operator with the side broom having only two positions, one wherein it is in contact with the fioor and one wherein it is raised above the floor. As shown in FIG. 3 in particular, the side broom 20 is mounted on an adjustable arm 70 which is pivotally supported by a stub axle 72 from the frame 12. A rear extension 74 of the arm contains a slot 76 through which an adjustable link 78 extends, the link 78 having a flange 80 thereon which abuts the upper surface of the extension 74. The link 78 is pivotally connected to an arm 82 which is afilxed to a second torsion rod 84. A lever 86, which pivots the rod 84, extends through a second slot 88 in the bracket 54 adjacent the slot 52.

When the lever 86 is moved forwardly into a notch of the slot 88, the link 78 is pushed downwardly to move the extension 74 downwardly and raise the broom from the surface. When the lever 86 is released from the notch 90, it can move to the opposite end of the slot 88 under the influence of gravity of the brush 20 where the lever remains during cleaning. With the levers 50 and 86 located close together, they can be operated simultaneously by the operator, if desired, who can move both forwardly into the notches 56 and 90 with one hand to clear both the main broom and the side broom from the surface when cleaning is not desired. The levers can also be simultaneously released from the notches by the operator.

The drive arrangement particularly for the main broom 22 is designed so that the brush 34 will tend to rise from the surface in the event it meets an obstacle or other resistance. The drive for the brooms includes a motor 92 having a drive pulley 94 engaged with a V-belt 96. The V-belt 96 is driven in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3 and extends around an idler pulley 98 which is rotatably mounted on a lever 100 and urged outwardly by virtue of a spring 102 tending to move the lever in a clockwise direction. The V-belt 96 engages and extends around a main driven pulley 104 which is mounted on the axle 32 just outside the supporting plate 36. The V-belt then extends upwardly to the drive pulley 94 again. With this drive arrangement, if the brush 34 encounters increased resistance, it will tend to be raised because of the direction of movement of the V-belt 96. Hence, undue strain on the drive components and the motor is substantially eliminated.

T he side broom 20 is also driven by relatively simple means, through a pulley 106 mounted adjacent the pulley 104 and connected to a driven pulley 108 through a V-belt 110. The pulley 108 then rotates the broom 20 through a suitable gear box 112.

The main broom 22 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 6-8. This broom is of relatively inexpensive and lightweight construction and also has a unique feature for adjusting the brushes. As shown, the broom 22 is rotatably carried on the stub axles 32 which extend through bearings 114 in the supporting plates 36. The use of stub axles rather than single long axle in itself reduces the weight of the broom construction substantially.

The broom consists of three hub plates 116, the outer two of which are carried on the stub axles 32. As shown in FIG. 7, the hub plates 116 have offsets 118 which carry L-shaped supporting bars 120 welded to the offsets 118 or otherwise affixed thereto. The brush 34 of the broom consists of seven brush units 122 each comprising a mounting back 124 and a row of bristles 126 extending substantially the length of the back 124. The bristles are held substantially radially by the bar 120.

The brush units 122 can be adjusted to compensate for wear by an arrangement shown in FIG. 8. Here, the brush backs 124 have transversely-extending pairs of holes 128 and 130 at several locations, in this case five, along the brush back. In corresponding locations on the supporting bars 120, three openings 132, 134, and 136 are provided. The brush backs 124 are aflixed to the bars 120 by bolts 138 and nuts 140, the bolts extending through one of the openings 132-136 and one of the holes 128 and 130. With the holes and openings positioned as shown, the brush units 122 can be located at one-quarter inch increments from an inward position as shown with the bolt 138 extending through the opening 132 and the hole 128 to an outward position in which the bolt 138 extends through the opening 136 and the hole 128. In between are additional incremental positions achieved with the bolt extending through the opening 136 and the hole 130 and through the opening 134 and the hole 128. When necessary, the brush units 122 can be replaced relatively easily without the expense of changing the entire broom 22.

I claim:

1. A power sweeper for sweeping a large surface comprising a main frame, wheels rotatably mounted on said frame for driving and steering said sweeper, a main broom of generally cylindrical shape positioned transversely to the forward direction of movement of said sweeper, supporting means at each end of said broom rotatably connected thereto and pivotally connected to said frame, a lever pivotally supported by the sweeper, means connected between said supporting means and said lever to enable said broom to be raised and lowered relative to the surface when said lever is moved by an operator in a predetermined path, said broom being raised above the surface when said lever is at one end of its path, and adjustable stop means located in the path of said lever for selectively changing the distance which said lever can move along its path in the direction opposite said one end thereof, said adjustable stop means comprising a platelike member movable relative to the path of said lever to selectively position different portions of said member in the path of said lever.

2. A sweeper according to claim 1 wherein said platelike member includes a plurality of offset steps which can be positioned in the path of the lever.

3. A sweeper according to claim 2 characterized further by said plate-like member being pivotally supported by the sweeper adjacent the lever path.

4. A sweeper according to claim 3 characterized by spring means for holding said plate-like member in a position in which one of said offset steps is in the path of said lever.

5. A power sweeper according to claim 1 characterized by releasable means for retaining said lever at said one end of its path to maintain the broom in the raised position until released.

6. A power sweeper according to claim 1 characterized further by a side broom, an arm pivotally connecting said side broom to said sweeper frame for pivotal movement in a generally vertical plane, a second lever adjacent said first lever and movable in a path generally parallel to the path of said first lever, and means connecting said second lever to said side broom arm for raising and lowering said side broom when said main broom is raised and lowered by corresponding movements of said first and second levers, whereby said levers can be operated together by a sweeper operator.

7. A sweeper for cleaning a large surface comprising a main frame, wheels rotatably mounted on said frame for supporting and moving said sweeper, a main broom of generally cylindrical shape positioned transversely to the forward direction of movement of said sweeper, supporting means at each end of said broom rotatably connected thereto and movably connected to said frame to move said broom up and down when said supporting means are moved, a control member carried by said sweeper to enable said broom to be raised and lowered relative to the surface when said control member is moved in a predetermined path by an operator, said broom being raised above the surface when said control member is at one end of its path, means carried by said sweeper to guide said control member in the path, and adjustable stop means pivotally carried by said sweeper and having stepped notches selectively movable into the path of said control member to change the distance which said control member can move along its path in one direction.

8. A sweeper according to claim 7 wherein said main broom comprises a plurality of hub plates, a plurality of supporting bars affixed to said hub plates and extending longitudinally of said broom, said hub plates having a plurality of offsets therein receiving said supporting bars, and a brush unit carried by each of said supporting bars.

9. A sweeper according to claim 8 characterized by each of said supporting bars and said brush units having a plurality of holes at predetermined positions longitudinally thereof, each position having at least two holes for each of said brush units and said supporting bar, whereby said brush units can be affixed to said supporting bars at spaced radially-changeable positions.

10. A sweeper for cleaning a large surface comprising a main frame, wheels rotatably mounted on said frame for supporting and moving said sweeper, a main broom of generally cylindrical shape positioned transversely to the forward direction of movement of said sweeper, supporting means at each end of said broom rotatably connected thereto and movably connected to said frame to move said broom up and down when said supporting means are moved, a control member carried by said sweeper to enable said broom to be raised and lowered relative to the surface when said control member is moved in a predetermined path by an operator, means carried by said sweeper to guide said control member in the path, and an adjustable stop member located in the path of said control member and movably mounted on said sweeper, said stop memher having a plurality of selectively positioned stop means thereon selectively movable into the path of said control member by the operator to change the distance which said control member can move along its path in one direction to selectively change the position of said cylindrical broom relative to the surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,861,681 6/1932 Birdsall 15-340 2,236,814 4/1941 Evans 15-87 X 2,330,025 9/1943 Bentley et al. 15-82 2,897,527 8/1959 Jones 15-183 2,972,159 2/ 1961 Swanson et al 15-340 3,284,830 11/1966 Kroll 15-82 X 3,059,490 10/ 1962 McDuffie 74534 EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

